Page 6 - index
P. 6

Big Christmas



         Wind Orchestra and Choir












        The Big Christmas Wind Orchestra and Choir  carols - we probably  maintain the largest  cause in a single afternoon, and nearly £8000
        is a festive highlight for many musicians,  collection  of New  Christmas Praise  books  in total over all of our years of performance.
        forming annually in central London for an  outside the Salvation Army itself! On top of  Like most music-making in 2020, things will
        afternoon of Christmas music and fun. Over  the traditional carols and songs we have a few  be a little different for us this year. It wouldn’t
        300 musicians come together every year  concert band arrangements of pop medleys  be right for  us to gather  so many  people
        for  a one day  festival of Christmas music -  and Christmassy classical favourites.  close together  to play, even if the current
        from 6 tubas, 12 bassoons and even a bass                                restrictions are lifted soon. We are therefore
        saxophone,  right up  to 3 recorders and                                 moving online, inviting people to submit vid-
        6 piccolos,  everyone  is welcome and  the                               eos of their own for us to compile into one
        resulting ensemble is an  incredible sight                               enormous recording! Hopefully  we will  also
        and sound to behold!                                                     host a live  online playalong session later in
                                                                                 December - to join in on our plans, just visit
                                                                                 our website at
                                                                                 www.bigchristmaswindorchestra.org




                                            Formed in 2012, the Big Christmas Wind
                                            Orchestra was started by a group of friends
                                            who were keen to use their musical talents
                                            in a public performance around  Christmas
                                            time.  The initial  gathering was attended by
        We usually meet for 3 hours in the open air  around  40 performers, all from a range  of
        near  Spitalfields Market  and  reach a  high  London concert bands and wind orchestras.
        standard of performance despite a mixed  Over time, the event has grown to reach over
        ability group  and no rehearsal. Our  300 musicians, and  from 2017 onwards,  As  well  as bringing festive joy to our
        experienced professional musical  director,  a choir has also been invited to sing along.  performers and  audience, we fill a gap  in
        Matthew Hardy, always carefully selects  a                               musical  provision, for amateur performers
        wide range  of  Christmas music that is                                  to come together for a single one-off event,
        accessible to all performers, whatever their                             especially for  those who  do  not  regularly
        confidence or ability.                                                   make music with a group.  We received a
                                                                                 grant from the Arts Council in 2017 which
                                                                                 allowed us to purchase all of our own sheet
                                                                                 music, based on our plans to use the event
                                                                                 as a catalyst for community music  making.




                                            We know that while  we perform we are
                                            an impressive spectacle for  the gathered
                                            crowds, so we  invite  a  charity partner to
                                            come and run a collection every year. With
        We base our  programmes  around the well  good weather and enthusiastic  collectors,
        known  “New Christmas Praise” books  of  we have raised more than £1800 for a good


     .................................................................................................                      .................................................................................................
                                                            6
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11